Kulen

Kulen is a cured sausage made from minced pork seasoned with hot red paprika and garlic, traditionally produced in Slavonia in Croatia and in Vojvodina in Serbia. Its long maturing process makes it one of the most prized products of the household pig slaughter.

History

Kulen is closely tied to the pig slaughter that many households carried out each autumn. The meat was stuffed into thick pork casing, smoked for several months with particular woods, and then air-dried for a similar period. The whole process could last up to a year and included fermentation, which sets it apart from other air-dried sausages. When the filling went into thinner intestine, it needed less smoking and drying and matured sooner; this version is known as kulenova seka, or kulen's sister.

Since World War II it has also been made industrially across the former Yugoslavia. This cheaper version differs in appearance and aroma from the traditional product.

Culture

Croatia and Serbia both host annual Kulenijada festivals that celebrate the sausage's history and the regional masters who make it, and Bački Petrovac holds its own regional kulen festival each year. In Zagreb, even a low-grade kulen can cost more than other sausages and is comparable to smoked ham. Protected designations cover Slavonian kulen, Baranja kulen with geographical indication status, and Syrmian kulen. In Slavonia it is also called kulin, and in Bačka a local variety is made by the Slovak population. The finest pieces are sometimes coated with a thin layer of mold that gives them a distinctive aroma.

Trivia